Kurtz and [Chris "Thrill Going Up My Leg"] Matthews also questioned whether the tea party movement has true grassroots or just astroturf [Projecting again]. Kurtz subtly jabbed the notion that the tea parties are a bottom-up campaign, noting that conservative celebrities like Michelle Malkin and Newt Gingrich are "among those backing what's being billed as a grassroots movement."

Puleeze. Michelle Malkin is first among equals of us grassroots types. Newt? Not our cup of tea, but why shouldn't he get involved? It's not as if smaller government hasn't always been his thing. Here's Texas Governor Perry "rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority," music to our ears:

“I believe that our federal government has become oppressive in its size, its intrusion into the lives of our citizens, and its interference with the affairs of our state,” Gov. Perry said. “That is why I am here today to express my unwavering support for efforts all across our country to reaffirm the states’ rights affirmed by the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. I believe that returning to the letter and spirit of the U.S. Constitution and its essential Tenth Amendment will free our state from undue regulations, and ultimately strengthen our Union.”

Perry continued: "Millions of Texans are tired of Washington, DC trying to come down here to tell us how to run Texas."